Ammunition box



April 5, 1955 s. HAMMER 2,705,575

AMMUNITION BOX Filed Nov. 19, 1952 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 qp l Q- J3 4 ram- 12:1

grwcm m a v Samuel Hammer wfmmamw April 5, 1955 s. HAMMER 2,705,575

AMMUNITION BOX Filed Nov. 19, 1952 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 4 grwwrvfom S arnuaL Harm-new United States Patent '0 AMNIUNITION BOX Samuel Hammer, New York, N. Y., assignor to the United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Army Application November 19, 1952, Serial No. 321,465

6 Claims. (Cl. 220-32) This invention relates to improvements in ammunition boxes and more particularly to the type of box adapted to store the shorter caliber .30 T38 ammunition.

A primary object of this invention is to provide an ammunition box having a positive sealing thereof against air and moisture.

A further object of the invention is to provide a box of great rigidity and strength which will prevent bridging and distortion of the ammunition within the box, without however, increasing the weight per unit volume.

A further object of the invention is to provide a box having a cover so designed as to prevent interlocking of the covers when the boxes are stacked.

A still further object of the invention is to provide an improved hasp for locking thebox and cover to exclude air and moisture therefrom.

The specific nature of the invention as well as other objects and advantages thereof, will clearly appear from a description of a preferred embodiment as shown in the accompanying drawings in which:

Figure l is a side elevation of an ammunition box embodying the invention;

Figure 2 is an end view of the box illustrating the hasp in locked position;

Figure 3 is a fragmentary end elevation of the other end of the box;

Figure 4 is a fragmentary end view of the box, the cover being removed;

Figure 5 is a top plan view of the cover;

Figure 6 is a section, parts being broken away, taken along lines 66 on Figure 2;

Figure 7 is a plan view of the box with the cover removed;

Figure 8 is an end elevation of the box, the cover being removed, and

Figure 9 is a fragmentary cross sectional view taken along lines 9-9 of Figure 1 Referring more particularly to the drawings wherein like reference characters designate corresponding parts throughout the different views, 1 indicates generally the body portion of the ammunition box and which includes a single piece of sheet material, such as metal, shaped to form a substantially rectangular member having a pair of side walls 2 and end walls 3. The bottom edges of the material are flanged inwardly to a horizontal plane to provide a ledge 4. See Figures 1 and 9. The seam at the joint of the body member may be spot-welded or secured by any other suitable means and made smooth to afford a smooth surface throughout the sides and ends of the body member. A bottom member 5, of slightly less perimeter than the corresponding inner dimension of the body member 1 is provided to fit Within and rest upon the ledge 4. The bottom member 5 may be spot Welded or attached to ledge 4 by any other suitable means, thus forming a box.

Rigidity and strength is afforded the bottom member 5 by a longitudinally-extending struck up portion 6. See Figures 7 and 9. The upper edges of the body memher 1 are rolled as at 7, Figure 9, to provide a rounded edge to the structure and enhance the sealing thereof by means to be hereinafter described.

At one end of the body and near the upper edge of the rear end thereof, a hinge pin supporting strip 8, is secured as by spot welding. As best shown upon Figures 3, 4, 6 and 7, the upper edge of this strip is notched to define spaced projections 9 which are curled to form 2,705,575 Patented Apr. 5, 1955 receptacles for aligned hinge pins 10, shown as three in number. As will be noted from Figure 4, the end of the left and central pin terminates a substantial distance short of the next adjacent projection so that, when raised, the cover may be removed by an axial translation, as subsequently described.

At the other end of member 1 there is provided a latch 11 comprising a generally flat plate spot welded to the body member and having its lower edge curled as at 12, Figures 1, 6 and 8, to form a pivot loop for one straight side of a generally rectangular wire handle 13. Figures 1, 2 and 6. The upper end of the latch 11 is bent along straight transverse lines, first upwardly and outwardly at 11a, then again upwardly at 111), then at right angles outwardly, then upwardly to form a latch surface 110, then again upwardly and inwardly, terminating in an upper edge 11d, welded to the body portion.

A cover member, generally identified at 15, is provided having a fiat top 16 and inwardly-offset, downwardlyextending side flanges 17. From Figures 1 and 6 it will be noted that the depth of these flanges increases from rear to front of the box, and that the flanges, at their forward lower parts, have an inwardly-struck lug 17a which frictionally engages the sides of the box. When the cover is raised to a position such that these lugs rest upon the top edges of the box, they act to hold the cover in position such that a belt of machine gun cartridges can be drawn directly into the gun with the box positioned only a few inches from the intake of the gun. in this manner the cartridge belt is protected against Weather and other hazards except only for the short passage into the gun. The flanges also aid in camming the hinge pins 10 into fully seated position in loops 19 when the cover is pivoted into closed position. A strip 18 is secured transversely to the rear upper surface of the cover and is bent downwardly about the contiguous edge of the cover. The lower edge of this strip is notched to provide three extensions 19, which are curled to form axially aligned loops in which the projecting portions of the respective hinge'pins 10 are rigidly secured. It will thus be noted that the cover, when raised, may be detached'by a shift axially of the hinge pins.

A strip 20 is attached to the top surface of the other end of the cover and is bent downwardly and has its lower free end curled as at 21, Figures 1 and 6, to provide a loop embracing one straight side of generally trapezoidal wire loop or link 22. This loop has a hasp 23 pivoted on its parallel side of shorter dimension. As best shown upon Figures 5 and 6, this hasp is generally fiat, with downturned side edges 23a pierced to receive the loop 22. The side edges of the hasp adjacent loop 22 are somewhat extended to form ears or tabs 24 which embrace the side edges of the inclined part of latch 11, at 1111, Figure 8, and beneath the overhanging portions 11b, when the hasp is in cover-locking position. Figure 5, it is noted that the hasp is cut away at 25, to define an intermediate tongue 23b which is bent inwardly at an obtuse angle and, when the hasp is closed, engages beneath latch surface llc. The hasp is indented at 35, Figure 5, to lend rigidity to the tongue. Thus, to completely close and secure the cover in closed position, hasp 23 is pivoted until its tongue 23b engages beneath latch surface 110. Then pressure applied to the end of the hasp remote from tongue 23b causes the hasp to pivot about the line of contact between the tongue and latch surface. This draws loop 22 inwardly and downwardly until it snaps into the fully closed position shown upon Figure 6. In this position the plane of loop 22 is offset inwardly from the aforesaid line of contact whereby the tension in loop 22 tends to swing the hasp clockwise as viewed in Figure 6 and thus retains the hasp in coverclosing position. From Figure 1 it is noted that the side flanges of the hasp are cut away at 36 to form edges engaging the offset portions 11a of the latch 11 when the cover is locked in position.

A gasket retainer plate 28 has dimensions a little less than the inside of the cover and is secured thereto by Welding. The plate has a central longitudinal strengthening channel 29 struck therein. Its side edges are turned downwardly as at 30, Figure 9, to form gasket and retaining channels in conjunction with the side flanges of Fromdefined by the flanges just described and is grooved to becompressed over and about the entire periphery of the upper edge of the box when the cover is fully closed, to thereby afford a water-tight sea]. It is to be noted from Figure 6 that the curled portions of strips 13 and 20 at opposite ends of the cover, assist in retaining the gasket in position. This is also true of the inward offset in the side flanges 17 of the cover as will be obvious from inspection of Figure 9.

A handle 31 of sheet metal is bent to provide loops at its ends each of which receives one straight side of a respective one of a pair of rectangular loops or links 33. The other sides of each link pass through slots formed by two straps 34 welded at their ends to the top of the box. The construction and dimensions are such that the handle 31 lies fiat upon the cover' when the links are at the remote ends of the slots.

The oifset sides of the cover prevents any interlocking of the covers of contiguous boxes of this type when stored.

I have thereby provided a water-tight ammunition box of simplicity in design and of great strength. Also more eflective sealing means have been attained by the improved latching mechanism. The cover can be quickly attached and removed from the body member of the box. Due to the unique construction of the gasket retainer bridging and distortion of the stored ammunition is prevented.

-While I have shown the preferred form of the invention as known to me, various modifications and substi'tutions of equivalents will occur to those skilled in the art after a study of the foregoing disclosure. Hence, the disclosure should be taken in an illustrative rather than a limiting sense; and it is my desire and intention to reserve all modifications within the scope of the subjoined claims.

Having now fully disclosed the invention what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. In a cover for an ammunition box, a rectangular cover plate having integral downwardly-turned side edges forming flanges, each said flange being bent downwardly, then inwardly, then again downwardly to form an offset along a line parallel to and spaced below the plane of said plate, a gasket retainer plate secured to the inner surface of said plate between said flanges, said retainer plate having downwardlyand outwardly-turned straight edges terminating substantially in the plane of said offsets, whereby said fianges and retainer plate conjointly define a retainer channel, and a sealing gasket removably and frictionally retained in said channel.

' 2. A cover as recited in claim 1, a first strip having one edge secured to and along one of the shorter ends of the top surface of said cover plate, the other edge of said first strip being turned downwardly across the end of said plate, then curled inwardly in cylindrical form to define tubular bearing means, contiguous end portions of said retainer plate being bent downwardly and outwardly to cooperate with said tubular bearing to define a gasket retainer channel releasably and frictionally retaining said gasket along said one end of the cover.

3. A cover as recited in claim 1, a first strip having one edge secured to and along one of the shorter ends of the top surface of said cover plate, the other edge of said first strip extending downwardly across the contiguous end of said plate, then curled inwardly to form a tubular bearing, a second strip having one edge secured to and along the other shorter end of the top surface of said cover plate, the other edge of said second strip being notched to formspaced projections, said projections being curled inwardly to format plurality of aligned spaced hinge bearing loops, contiguous end portions of said retainer plate being bent outwardly and downwardly to cooperate with said bearing loops to frictionally and releasably retain the corresponding portion of said gasket.

4. In an ammunition box rectangular in horizontal cross section and comprising a bottom, and four sides all integrally united along meeting edges, and a cover having depending flanges along its two longer edges to fit down over and embrace the top portions of the cor- V responding sides of the box, when said cover is in closed 1 position, hinge means connecting said cover and one shorter side of said box, said flanges uniformly increasing in depth from a minimum at the hinged end of said cover to a maximum at the other end thereof, each said flange having an inwardly-struck lug in the lower edge of its end of greater depth, said lugs conjointly acting to frictionally engage the subjacent sides of the box to hold the free end of said cover in elevated position when desired.

5. In a sheet metal ammunition box rectangular in horizontal section and comprising a bottom and four side walls integrally connected along meeting edges, and a flat cover, means hinging one shorter edge of said cover to a corresponding side wall, said cover having its longer edges bent downwardly, then inwardly and again downwardly to form flanges embracing the top portion of the corresponding sides of the box when said cover is closed, said flanges increasing uniformly in vertical dimension from a minimum at the ends adjacent said hinge means, to a maximum at the ends remote therefrom, a retainer plate secured to the inner surface of said cover and having its side edges turned downwardly and outwardly to define with the bent edges of said cover, a gasket retainer channel, a resilient gasket releasably and frictionally held within said channel, each said flange having an inwardly struck lug at the lower corner of its end of maximum dimension, said lugs frictionally engaging the subjacent sides of the box.

6. A box as recited in claim 5, flat metal strips secured to and extending along the shorter edges of said cover, each said strip being turned downwardly about the subjacent edge of the cover and then rolled inwardly and upwardly, the adjacent ends of said retainer plate being turned downwardly and outwardly to define, in cooperation with said rolled edges a channel receiving and frictionally retaining the corresponding end portions of said gasket.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 661,201 Wilding Nov. 6, 1900 763,256 Burtis June 21, 1904 1,164,755 Rouse Dec. 21, 1915 1,175,865 Griswold Mar. 14, 1916 1,203,121 Laudenschlager Oct. 31, 1916 1,451,356 Yemniker Apr. 10, 1923 1,488,375 Bowers Mar. 25, 1924 1,573,579 Ross Feb. 16, 1926 1,711,749 Schmitt May 7, 1929 2,291,719 Huehnel Aug. 4, 1942 2,371,194 Socke Mar. 13, 1945 2,391,346 Punte Dec. 18, 1945 2,452,545 Broga Nov. 2, 1948 FOREIGN PATENTS 594,444 France June 22, 1925 

